Guys, I had the exact same problem at Thunder Hill. The sealer they put
on the track would rub off on the tires forming a hard, glazed surface
that made it take longer to warm up the tires to get any traction. This
is different from rubber build-up. You can tell the difference at a
glance. Rubber build-up looks like ropy strands of dull black stuff that
only appears on part of the tread, usually the edges on a bias-ply tire.
The sealer forms a smooth, almost shiny surface over the whole tread.
If you pick it off by hand, it comes off in flakes. The ropy rubber stuff
is like cold taffy.
I was able to scrape both off by doing "brake tests" in the back of the
paddock. You don't have to go real fast for this, I used 1st gear up to
about 25 MPH, then screeched the tires in short bursts. Do enough of this
and you will see the rubber you bought again. With hard compound Dunlops
(thank you, Steve Earle), I was definitely picking up more than I was
putting down. Be careful in the paddock, tho. Some paddock marshals take
a dim view of anything over 15 MPH.
RodsINTOMG@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 99-11-09 14:04:59 EST, you write:
>
> << I had a terrible build-up of rubber on the tread
> surface.
>
> Greg,
>
> I can share your greef over the build-up of junk on your tires, but I don't
> think it's rubber, I think it is sealer (aka tar) that was put on the track
> surface to preserve the track. I had the same problem on my MGB with Comp
> TA R1 tires (radials). When new, great tires but as they aged, they would
> pick up all this "stuff" on the tread. Much as you described, like a rubber
> build-up and threw the tire out of balance. When you took the car out on
> the track (especially when cold) the car would be absolutely evel. You
> weren't running on rubber but tar.
>
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